Machine for perforating statistical cards



Allg 2, 1932*- A. THOMAS ET AL t 1,870,184

MACHINE FOR PERFORATING STATISTICAL CARDS lrwaurons- Am'nun TnomAs. Gamas Cams.

Aug. 2, 1932. A. THOMAS ET Al. '1,870,184

MACHINE FOR PERFORMING STATISTICAL CARDS Filed Feb. 17, 1951 z sheets-sneer 2 ARTI-4u: THOMAS.

f Gamas Cama PERI ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 2, 1932 j UNITE-D STATES .ARTHUR THOMAS AND GEORGE CRAIG, YF THORNTON HEATH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS PATENT OFFICE.

T0 THE ACCOUNTING & TABULATIN G CORPORATION OF GREAT BRITAIN LIMITED,

OF LONDON, ENGLAND MACHINE FOR PERFORATING STATISTICAL vCARDS This 'invention relates to machines for perforating statistical cards, and has for its Mforating machine for punching statistical- 'Frecord cards, and further to simplify the mechanism of such machines so that power is coupled to the operatives of the punching mechanism asa result. of operating the key- `board of the typewriting machine, and still lU another object is to simplify the keyboard of a perforating machine so that for manual operation a much lighter touch is required than has heretofore been obtained.

In accordance with the present invention l5"the loa/d is taken oil' the keyboard by introducing a relay, as for instance a continuously rotated roller for 4actuating the operatives for setting the set bars of the machine.

` In perforating machines of the kind whereinlthe set bars are displaced by plungers actuated through bell cranks, in turn moved by the "agency of Bowden mechanism actuated from the keyboard, vthe set bars accordy ing to the invention are moved by power ac- -tuated on the manual select-ion made by operating the keys.

Preferably the power operated and continuously rotatingfroller is disposed between the Bowden mechanism and the keyboard, the 3l)keyboard being merely employed to selectively connect tothe .rollers operative members corresponding to the keys, which when operated by the roller actuate the Bowden mechanism corresponding to the respective -set bars.

'The introduction-of power to what is normally a hand operated machine introduces the difficulty that the operator may dwell on the keys and thepower actuated' roller will 49 causea rapid 'sequence of the same operations in the machine, resulting from the set bar connected parts being maintained in operative relation `with'the motive member, namely the roller.

Accordingto-the present invention amachine with powerfactuated operatives brought into-operation by connecting the operatives to the vmotive member., as for example, the roller, as a result lof operating .the keys, com- '50 prises means for preventing repetition action,

Application led VIkebruary 17, 1931, Serial No. "516,301, and in Great Britain February 28, 1930.

in other words theymeans assure one action only vfor theV depression of a key however long it is held down` In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will no-w be made to its application to a perforating machine of the kind described in the speciica- Ytion of Thomas United States Patent No.

1,858,174 which, according to the invention may be modified in order tol take the load oil the keyboard by associating with the bell crank operatives, a relay, as for example a continuously rotated roller, so that the operating rods of the translating device merely rock levers into engagement with the continuously rotated roller so that power is employed to actuate the bell cranks and to set the set bars.

The perforating machine so modied conveniently includes connections from the bell cranks kof the set bars brought forward into alignment.

The invention may be carried out in various ways, but a preferred construction according thereto is illustrated by way of eX- ample inL the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is shown as applied to a perforating machine as described inthe specification of Thomas, United States Patent No. 1,858,174.

In the drawings lig. 1 shows thekeyboard in ysectional elevatlon.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

gig. 3 is a plan view with the keys removed, an

Fig. l shows an alternative form of a detail of the mechanism.

In the construction illustrated in the rdra-wings, each key 1 in each row of the four rows comprised in the bank of keys is provided with a bell crank 2. Conveniently, the bell cranks of each key of a row are co-aXially pivoted as at 3. Each bell crank 2 on the depression of its-respective key 1 engages al pin 4 on a longitudinally displaceable key bar 5 which rests on a pivoted control lever 6 by 'a lug 7 on the underside of the key bar 5. Displacement of the key bar by operation of a key brings the lug 7 overa notchor `gap 8 on the control lever 6. This permits the control lever to rise to the depth of the lug under the action of a spring 19 hereinafter yreferred to.

0n each control lever 6 is eccentrically mounted a toothed wheel 10. l The eccentric toothed wheels 10 of all the control ylevers 6 are in co-axial alignmentl and the displacement ofthe control lever Vpermitted by the lug 7 on the key bar 5in the gap 8 of the control lever brings the -eccentric toothed wheel 10 into engagement with a continuously driven roller 11"`having'ratchet teeth.

` plunger on the set bar.

In such an arrangement, therefore, the depression of the key introduces a relay betweenvthe Bowden mechanism and the key whereby the set bars are power actuated on 1the manual selection made by operating the ach key bar 5 is conveniently spring controlled for resetting immediately a key is released, and to prevent a continual operation of the respective control lever as a result of holding down a key or otherwise maintaining a key bar displaced,-the control lever is provided with a pivoted latch member 14 mounted at the end ofthe control lever remote from its pivot.

`.Adjacent the latch 'is disposed a pivoted shutter 15 connected by a link 16 to a second pivoted shutter 17 adapted to be turned about ltsy pivot 18 by movement of the key. bar 5.

When .the key 1 is depressed and the lug 7y y pushed into a position which renders its engagement possible by the movement impart ed to it by the key bar through the other (ITV.

pivoted' shutter 17 and the connecting link 16; thus as long as the key is held depressed f the pivoted shutter 15. is held in such a positionas to engage the latch 14 on the control lever, whereby the return of the latter to its normal position is prevented. As soon as the rkey is released the lshutters 15, 17 spring back under the action of springs attached thereto, thereby freeing the latch 14 and permitting the control lever 6 to rise. wWhen the key is released t-hekeyk bar 5 is returned` by means of a spring k5a.

*Alternatively the control lever may be provided with a stirrup latch 114 adjacent the gap (see Fig. 4), the latch being spring controlled so that as the control lever is displaced by its eccentric being turned by the roller, the latch jumps over the gap and acts as a bridge preventing re-cngagement of the lug on the respective key bar with the gap, as a result of the control lever rocking. Displacement of a key'barcauses its luvr to rock the stirrup114 out of the way beiorev entering the gap onthe control lever;v f

A relay operated, perforating machine for statistical cards as aboven described can be very simply connected up to a relay operated typewriter as described in the specification of Thomas co-pending United States patent applicationSerial No. 510,712 vof which the titlek lis improvements in mechanism normally operated from a keyboard. To this end there may be juxtaposed to the end of each key bar 5 of the perforating machine an operating lever 20, the operating lever being rocked, conveniently by Bowden mechanism 21, from the corresponding operating rod of the typewriter thereby causing movement in the key bars of the perforating machine as if the key bar had beeny manually displaced as above described.

Although the invention has been described in relation to perforating machines as described in the specification of Thomas, United States Patent No.1,858,174, this is by way of example only, as the invention comprises broadly the employment of power between the set bars of a yperforating machine and the keys for setting the set bars, and also the employment of a relay mechanism between any keyboard and operatives such as punch mechanism where a plunger is operated as a result of being selected from the keyboard, for instance the invention covers the employment of relay mechanism between the -keyboard and plungersy of a `verifying apparatus, and in such Aforms ofv apparatus means may be provided or indicating errors in the card eing verified, either immediately the error is detected or by means of a' sorting operation, in other words the invention covers the employment of relay power mechanism between a keyboard and displaceable pins or plungers such as are usediin machines vdealing withstatisticalV cards.

In addition the invention covers the employment of relay mechanism between a carriage return key and carriage return mechanism, which may, for example, be as Adescribed in the Thomas and Blameys specification of yco-pending United States patent ap-' plication Serial No. 516,302 of which the title is improvements in keyboard operated machines and alsobetween a back spacing keyy and back spacing mechanism, such for example, as that described in the sameco-pendi'ng United States patent application No. 516,302.

-lso What we claim is the cdntrol member bears against the downwardly depending lug on the key bar, a toothed wheel mounted eccentrically on the control member, a second toothed wheel i i adapted to be rotated continuously, whereby i when a. key is depressed the key bar 1s displaced until the lug thereon registers with the recess in the control member thereby bringing the eccentric toothed wheel into engagement with the continuously rotating toothed wheel whereby the control member is depressed, and an operative connection between the control member and a plunger and means for restoring the key bar when said key is released.

Q. ln a keyboard controlled machine the combination of a. plurality of plungers adapted to produce holes in statistical cards, a key bar for each key, an operative connection between each key and its key bar, a downwardly depending lug on said key bar, a pivoted control member having a recess in its upper sur face, means for urging said control member upwardly whereby the upper surface of the control member bears against the downwardly depending lug on the key bar, a toothed wheel mounted eccentrically on the control member, a second toothed wheel adapted to be rotated continuously, whereby when a key l is depressed the key bar is displaced until the lug thereon registers with the recess in the control member thereby bringing` the eccentric toothed wheel into engagement with the continuously rotating` toothed wheel whereby the control member is depressed, an operative connection between the control member and a plunger means for restoring the key bar when said key is released, a latch pivoted to v the control member and means whereby said i latch holds the control member in the lower positioifuntil said depressed key is released thereby7 preventing repetition action.

3. In a keyboard controlled machine the combination of a plurality of plunger adapted to produce holes in statistical cards, a key bar for each key, an operative connection between each key and its key bar, a downwardly depending lug on said key bar, a pivoted control member having a recess in its upper surface, meansfcr urging said control member upwardly whereby the upper surface of the control member bears against the downwardly depending lug on the key bar, a toothed wheel mounted eccentrically on the control member, a second toothed wheel adapted to be rotated continuously, whereby when key is depressed the key bar is dis' placed untilV the lug thereon registers with the recess in the vcontrol member thereby bringing the eccentric toothed wheel into engagement with the continuously rotating toothed wheel whereby the control member is depressed, an operative connection between the control member and a plunger, a latch pivoted to the control member, a pivoted shutter, spring means for maintaining said latch against the side of said pivoted shutter, a

second ivoted shutter bearinfr against the;`

end of the key bar, an operative connection between said two pivoted shutters, whereby both shutters are rocked when the key bar is displaced and the latch moves under the edge of the adjacent pivoted shutter whenthe control member is 'at the bottom of its stroke to thereby hold the control member in such position until said depressed key is released, means for restoring the key bar when said key is released thereby freeing the shutters, and means for restoring the shutters whereby the latch is freed from the shutters.

et. ln a keyboard controlled machine the combination oi"A a plurality of plungers adapted to produce holes in statistical cards, a key bar for each key, an operative connection between each key and its key bar, a downwardly depending lug on said key bar, a pivoted control member having a recess in its upper surface, means for urging said control member' upwardly whereby the upper surface of the control member bears against the downwardly depending lug on the key bar. a toothed wheel mounted eccentrically on the control member, a second toothed wheel adapted to be rotated continuously, whereby when a .rey is depressed the key bar is displaced until the lug thereon registers with vhe recess in the control member thereby bringing the eccentric toothed wheel into engagement with the continuously rotating toothed wheel whereby the control member is depressed, an operative connection between the control member and a plunger, and a stirrup latch pivoted to the control member adjacent the recess thereon, said latch being` pushed to one side by the key bar when said n key bar is displaced by depress-ion of a ke spring means for moving said latch under the lug on the key bar when the control inember is at the bottom of its stroke, whereby said control member is held in such position until said key is released, and means for restoring said key bar upon release of said key, whereby the latch is freed from the lug.

5. In a keyboard controlled machine, the combination of a plurality of plungers in said machine adapted to produce holes in statistical cards, a key bar for each key, an operative connection between each key and its key bar, a downwardly depending lug on said key bar, a pivoted control member having a recess in its Vupper surface, means for urging said control member upwardly whereby the upper surface of the control member bears against the downwardly depending lug on the key bar, a toothed wheel mounted ecv centrically on the control member, a second toothed wheel adapted to be rotated continuous1y,whereby when a key is depressed the key baris/ displaced until the lug thereon registers with the recess in the control member thereby bringing the eccentric toothed Wheel into engagementv with the continuous- 1y rotating toothed wheel wherebythe control member is depressed, an operative connection between said control member and a plunger in said machine, a pivot-ed operating lever juxtaposed to the end of said key bar whereby said key bar is displaced when said lever is rocked, means whereby said lever may be operatively connected to the keys of a secondY machine so as to be rocked when a key is depressed in said second machine, whereby the control member is rdepressed and means for restoring said key bar when a depressed key is released.

6. Power operated relay mechanism for a keyboard controlled machine, comprising a displaceable key bar, means for connecting said key bar to a key, whereby saidbar may be displaced by depression of the key, a pivoted control member having a recess in its upper surface, a downwardly depending lug on said key bar l normally abutting the upper surface of said control member and adapted to register with the said recess when the key bar is displaced, means urging `said control member upwardly, a rotary member adapted to be continuously rotated, an eccentric member pivoted on said control member and adapted to engage with said rotary member when said lug registers with said recess, means for connecting a part of the machine controlled by said key to the controlmember, whereby said part is operated when said eccentric member engages said rotary member and means for returning the key bar when said key is released after depression.

7. Power operated relay mechanism according to claim 6, with latching means for ensuring that said part is operated once only for one depression of the key. In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

l ARTHUR THOMAS.

GEORGE CRAIG. 

